Rosehip neuron

Rosehip neurons are inhibitory GABAergic neurons present in the first layer (the molecular layer) of the human cerebral cortex. They make up about 10-15% of all inhibitory neurons in Layer 1.^[1] Neurons of this type (having "large ‘rosehip’-like axonal boutons and compact arborization") exist in humans, but have not been reported in rodents.^[2] Tamás group from the University of Szeged, Hungary discovered Rosehip neurons and announced their discovery in August 2018.^[2]

Rosehip neurons are named after the rose hip fruit due to their bushy appearance. The name may be a misnomer, possibly due to an error in translation. The cell does not look like a rosehip, but does closely resemble a robin's pincushion, an insect gall commonly found on rose bushes.

These rosehip cells show an immunohistochemical profile (GAD1+CCK+, CNR1–SST–CALB2–PVALB–) matching a single transcriptomically defined cell type whose specific molecular marker signature is not seen in mouse cortex. Rosehip cells in layer 1 make homotypic gap junctions, predominantly target apical dendritic shafts of layer 3 pyramidal neurons, and inhibit backpropagating pyramidal action potentials in microdomains of the dendritic tuft. These cells are therefore positioned for potent local control of distal dendritic computation in cortical pyramidal neurons.^[2]

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